Old Grand-Dad, 114 Single Barrel
Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel is an evolution of the standard batched Old Grand-Dad 114. This newer whiskey from the James B. Beam Distilling Company has the notable differences of being a single-barrel release, meaning variation barrel to barrel, and being seven years aged (the standard batch release had no age statement). A higher proof Kentucky straight bourbon than most of Jim Beam's output, this is a straight-shooting part of its range.
Nose
Toasted oak, butterscotch, cacao
Palate
Maple syrup, sesame, baking spices
Finish
Porridge oats, cinnamon, caraway
This bold brand of bourbon belies its higher proof point by extending brown sugar and butterscotch aromatics, a sweetness that tames the heat in the nose and on the palate. There's a velvety component to its texture that helps glide that sweetness down with ease and focus, along with a sturdy deployment of brown sugar and baking spice joining forces with roasted nuts in the back palate. A parade of spice is unleashed at the very end of the sipping experience, of cinnamon, nutmeg, and caraway, yet this all departs in a fading dryness. Ultimately, this bourbon is a rich liquid that clings to the mouth and fades gently into the night with a whisper of tannic bitterness and caraway spice.
